Thread friction testing device



Sept. 10, 1946. J. R. FISH' 2,407,545

THREAD FRICTION TESTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1944 INYENTOR.

BY z -W- Patented Sept. 10, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V "2,407,545 THREADFBICTIVON TESTING DEVICE -Joscph Raymond Fish, Manchester, N. H. Application January 13, 1944, Serial No. 518,075

that yarn or .thread can be pulled'thioughthem and the tension 'recorded on a dial are in commen use and I .makeno claim to their construction but us'ea tension meter as part arm device. f

A's now produced, the characteristics of synthetic yarn with reference to stretching ordistortingare known to the manufacturers andt c 1 Claim. (Cl. 73160) fact is also known'that if there is too much pull or holding back of the thread, it may stretch and'make a bad place in the clothand on the other hand, if the tension isnot sufficienh the thread throws outor'loops and there is a loose pick which is also objectionable. I} i It is one of the purposes 'of this device to test thread running out from a bobbin ina shuttle before the shuttle is run inthe loom,to' determine the best average tension to produce on the thread as it runs out. This tension may beproduced by the pressure of adjustable springs against friction plates-in the shuttle or-of the muskrat or other fur generally in use in the shuttle in contact with the yarn mass on the bobbin in running synthetic yarn such-as rayon. The tension is usually produced by a number of factors including the plates and theiur; I There are many variables in "running yarn out of the-shuttle eye in a loom, such as the fact that the pull at the-tip of the cone when starting a new bobbin is ,difierent'from the pullat the base ofthe cone, because the base is of greater diameter than the tip. The pull at' the-frontfat the middle, and-at theb ack of' the-bobbinare substantially difierent. --The pullwhen the yarn is unwinding from the back of'the bunchon the, bobbin near the head isgreater than at the front.- A constant speed of withdrawal ishighly desir able in determining "the best average tension for agivenspeedi m f I. I

The speed 0f..the thread in running through my device can beadjus'ted to the relative speed of the loom in which the shuttle is to be used 55' and I find that usually a speed of twenty-five per cent faster than that of the flight of the shuttle duringthe pick is desirable. This speed should remain constant until all of the yarnon I the bobbin, which may be two thousand yards more or less, is run off.

The device consists, of a suitable base. with a stand for holding the shuttle, arranged to direct the yarn from the shuttle through a tension metef'and'then between rolls driven by a motor at ajuniform predetermined speed. The yarn after passing the pulling point'between the rolls; must'be disposed of and got out of the way as it has a tendency to blow around and get mixed up with the fresh yarn andwith the pulling rolls,

On the other hand,l'if it is simply wound on a'spool, as the spool builds up, the speed of delivery varies and this alters the calculations and averages.

To avoid this'objection, I prefer to use beyond the pulling rolls a'thread receiver which is pref-f er'ably a' goose neck into which the yarn runsand from which it is carried along as fast as it is delivered from the rollswith no slack, by-an, induced vacuum or current of air caused by another current or jets of air operating on the as pirator principle. 1

"In the drawing, j

Fig. 1 is an elevational View and Fig. 2 is a plan. view of a self-contained device with a shuttle in place. Y l Fig. 3 is an elevationof a tension meter; Fig. 4 is an'elevation of a modified form of pneumatic thread take up device. 3,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view'of a device similar to Fig. 1 but with another type of yarn package holder with a yarn package in place and with the type of pneumatic take up device shown in Fig. 4. V

Fig. 6 is a detail of the thread removing rolls with a different adjustment from that shown in Fig. 1;,

In the drawing, A represents a base upon which are arranged in order as from left to right a stand or thread package holder H for a shuttle S, carrying a bobbin B, the thread C'from which is to be tested. Thread C runs past a suitable stop I6 andfrom there through a tensiometer T of a well known type and from there to a thread receiver 'J including a goose neck'D which extends down through base A'. It is preferably caught iii a waste can, not shown, below the base A or the waste thread pile up on thefioor. I

M is a motor, shown as can be allowed to of the electrictype;

which drives a friction roll I in engagement with an idle roll 2. Roll 2 is carried by arm 3 pressed by spring 1 to engage roll I whereby both rolls are driven at the same surface speed in the path of the thread C.

The speed of the motor can be regulated in any suitable way and the speed of the rolls can also be varied by substituting larger or smaller rolls for l and adjusting roll 2 with reference to the size of roll I. SeeFig. 6.

It is importantthat as the'thread is pulled between feed rolls I and 2 it should travel at a constant speed instead of at a variable speed as it would if it were wound on a positively driven spool or reel.

As shown, thread package holder H includes a support With two legs l2 and I 3, of which l2 carries a jaw M and clamping screw l5. A stop I6 to steady the end of a shuttle S is also a part of holder H.

The goose neck D receives the thread C and extends down through base A and is joined by an air. pipe 4 the two forming a V. This pipe l is shown as extending from a blower fan F carried by a shaft Iii driven by the motor. M, the fan being so arranged that it forces a powerful current of air down through the air pipe 4 thereby creating a suction in goose neck D which carries along the .end of the thread C as fast as it is delivered by the rolls I and 2. The disposal of the waste end of thread is important as it must be kept from jamming up the rolls l and 2.

The tensiometer T is fixed on base A and has a dial 2!] with a hand 2|, a fixed arm 22 and a movable arm 23 which connect with the hand 2! and moves it so as to indicate the tension or resistance of thread C as. it .runs out from the eye. 6 of the shuttle S.

In this type of tensiometer, the short and movable arm '23, around which thread C travels first, should be level with shuttle eye 6 and the fixed arm 22 should preferably be. level with the bite of rolls 1 and 2 so the thread 0 .can go from itto a guide eye. .25 aboutlevel with said bite.

In Figs. 1 and 2 for driving the fan shaft .18, I show a pulley 6| on the motorrshaft 63. connected by a belt 60 with a pulley f2 on. shaft lil.

Fig. 4 shows a thread remover E including a goose neck 30 which is the same as D, but instead of there being a fan attached to .the driving motor, there is an air pipe. 3.! similar-to 4 except that itconnects with. any of .thepneumatic devices now in common useinmillsforblowing oif dust and so forth.

When using this device with. synthetic yarn such as rayon, manufacturers can usually. state with reference to denier or weight and other characteristics how much tension in grams the thread or yarn will stand without extending or spoiling its natural characteristics. If properly made, as the yarn has been quilted or wound on the yarn package, it was given a tension in grams below the safety limit.

With a shuttle it is best to pull off the yarn in my device perhaps twenty-five per cent faster than the normalpicking motion Willcause it to be pulled off, to compensate for the difference between such a'smooth continuous withdrawal of the yarn as compared to the shifting tension to which the shuttle is subjected as his driven back and forth, stopped and started, and also to take careof the difference in the pull at the tip of a The device can also be used for testing the tension of tension devices such as K, shown in Fig. 5, which are used in connection with warpers or in fact in connection with numerous machines where tension devices are used to maintain an uniform tension on a thread which passes through them particularly where there are a number of threads or a reat many ends such as in a warper and where it is highly desirable that the tension of all the threads which are wound up together, as on a warp beam, should be substantially the same.

While equalizing the tension is particularly important on rayon and other synthetic yarns, it is desirable in many cases with worsted, cotton,

woolen and mixed yarns.

Also as many synthetic yarns react to some surfaces to a'betteradvantage than .to others,

such as glass, steel, porcelain, copper, plastics,

near the'head of the bobbin.

whichever type surface :makes or gives the best result can be determined on this device.

In Fig. 5 I show a modification of my device in which A is a base upon which is a thread package holder L which includes a clamp 59 for thread package B in the form of..a cone .on which is wound thread F, the holder L also holding a tension device K.

With a shuttle, the tension or friction member is usually part of the shuttle but on a warper or spooler or similar machine, the thread may be wound on a spool which is. carried by a horizontal spindle or .it may be carried .by a cone which stands vertically on its. base While the thread therefrom unwinds axially upward over a guideand thencehorizon-tally, but in eithercase, there is a friction device to prevent the thread from running offtoo fast. It is highly important that the friction of the hundreds of ends on such a machine should be as nearly as possible the same.

Therefore in this application of .the device, the holder L may support a horizontal arm 5| which carries a hanger 52v and also a tension device K such as is being used in connection with such a spool and spindle.

In the warper or spooler, the thread runs .off at a substantially uniform speed and by increasing the speed of. mydrawing off .rollsand, if necessary, changing the type of tension. device, the best type .of such device. andthebest and fastest safe speed canbe determined by watchme the tensiometer while all vor alargepart of the spool is run off.

Clamp .50 includes the laws .53 and 54, bolt. 55 and wing nut 56.

The thread receiving and removing. devices such asE, or J can be omitted when certain kinds of thread are being studied.

I claim:

The combination in a tension determining device for textile threads; 9.. base; a holder for holding a thread package; means for removing the thread from the thread package held in the holder, including a motor, a roll driven thereby and a friction roll driven by said driven roll; a pneumatic thread receiving device including a tubular goose neck behind said rolls, an air pressure pipe which connects with the goose neck, and means to produce a current of air through said air pressure pipe away from the inlet tothe goose neck; and a tension meter positioned between the thread package holder and said rolls.

J. RAYMOND FISH. 

